Spring 2026 CFO Leadership Conference
Spring 2026
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3 | 2:30 – 4:30PM
Employer-sponsored healthcare costs are rising at double-digit rates in many markets, eroding margins, weakening forecasting accuracy, and putting pressure on long-term financial stability.
For finance leaders, the mandate is clear:
The Healthcare Benefits Symposium was built for CFOs who want to lead this cost center strategically.
Why Attend
The CFO Leadership Conference Healthcare Benefits Symposium is a closed-door, two-hour intensive designed to give finance leaders the financial clarity, structural understanding, and insight needed to confidently oversee employer-sponsored healthcare benefits strategically.
Tickets $95. Offered exclusively to Spring CFO Conference attendees. 2 CPEs offered.
EVENT CO-CHAIR & MODERATOR
“This event will demystify the world of health insurance and equip CFOs to engage in strategic discussions (and tradeoffs) regarding cost and employee needs.”
Sandra Clarke is an experienced healthcare executive who has served as a senior finance and operations leader in global businesses ranging from $500M to $27B. Clarke currently serves as an executive advisor to an array of healthcare focused companies, including health plans, investment funds, healthcare services, and consulting. In addition, she serves on the board of Vynca Care, a palliative care company focused on delivering high quality home based care to patients.
Clarke was most recently executive vice president and chief operating officer at Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan with over $25 billion in annual revenue serving more than 4.8 million members. She was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the health plan, implementing strategies to deliver transformational results that improve the well-being of Blue Shield’s members, physicians, and communities it serves. Clarke oversaw the operations, transformation, customer experience, growth, and marketing functions, in addition to architecting the company’s initiative to reimagine the pharmacy care model and reduce the cost of prescription drugs. She also led corporate development, devising and enacting Blue Shield’s strategies to support growth.
Clarke has demonstrated her ability to improve operations in global businesses, with over 25 years of experience directing worldwide organizations in an array of critical industries. Prior to joining Blue Shield in 2018 as chief financial officer, she was senior vice president and US head of finance for pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., and held executive finance roles at Philips Healthcare and Siemens Water Technologies Group.
Clarke previously served on multiple boards, including: board member and audit chair of Metromile (now part of Lemonade, Inc.), board member of the Blue Shield of California Foundation, chair of Blue Venture Fund V, chair of Plan Investment Fund, board member of Synergie, and board member (former chair) of Evio Pharmacy Solutions.
For her achievements, Clarke was named one of Modern Healthcare’s Women Leaders of 2024. As a recognized thought leader, she has written articles for various publications and has spoken at many prominent forums including a White House Roundtable, Reuters Total Health, Health Evolution Summit, Business Group on Health, AHIP, UCSF Rosenman Symposium, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, and Fierce Healthcare’s Podnosis.
Clarke has a Master of Science in healthcare law from Seton Hall University School of Law, a Master of Science in accounting from Bentley University, and a Bachelor of Science in finance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
2:30 pm ET
(60–70 Minutes)
Sandra Clarke will lead a foundational session built specifically for CFOs and senior finance executives who want a clearer understanding of how employer-sponsored healthcare truly functions from a financial standpoint. This session will break down the core mechanics shaping healthcare spend: from regulatory obligations and funding structures to claims dynamics and pharmacy cost pressure, and clarify where risk and accountability ultimately sit.
Key Questions the session will address:
Global Transformational Finance & Operations Leader; Former CFO, Blue Shield of California
(30 - 60 Minutes)
Following the foundational session, attendees will transition into facilitated small-group roundtables designed to move from understanding to execution. These discussions provide CFOs with the opportunity to examine real-world healthcare cost challenges, explore funding tradeoffs, and assess risk management approaches in a candid, peer-level setting.
Participants will be able to select a table aligned with their priorities. Each roundtable will be guided by an experienced industry expert to ensure conversations remain practical, financially grounded, and strategically relevant
CEO & Founder, benefitbay
Brandy Thompson is the Founder and CEO of benefitbay®, a leading innovator in employee benefits and health insurance solutions. With more than 20 years of multidisciplinary experience across finance, technology, and human capital management, Brandy brings a rare blend of strategic insight and operational expertise to one of the most complex areas of organizational management.
Under her leadership, benefitbay® has become a transformative force in the adoption of Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA). Brandy is widely recognized for advancing modern benefits models that deliver greater flexibility for employers while expanding access and choice for employees. She oversees the company’s strategic vision, operational execution, and long-term growth initiatives, leveraging deep financial acumen to guide investment decisions and scalable innovation.
Brandy’s professional journey—from a nontraditional start as a single parent to the founder of a pioneering tech-enabled benefits firm—shapes her empathetic approach to solving challenges faced by today’s workforce. She is known for distilling complex industry dynamics into clear, actionable insights, and for championing data-driven strategies that improve both organizational outcomes and individual well-being.
A respected leader and sought-after speaker, Brandy continues to influence the future of employee benefits while inspiring others to pursue bold ideas regardless of circumstance.
Senior Vice President, MarshMcLennan Agency
For over 25 years, Marybeth Gray has been dedicated to helping employers nationwide lower healthcare costs and enhance quality. Throughout her career, she has effectively reduced insurance costs and employer liability, thanks to her extensive knowledge of the insurance marketplace. Currently, she holds the position of Senior Vice President of Health and Welfare Benefits at Marsh McLennan Agency, where she oversees comprehensive account management for her clients. With expertise in analyzing healthcare utilization data and cost trends, particularly in pharmacy for large, self-insured clients, Marybeth is a prominent thought leader at Marsh McLennan Agency, speaking at more than ten national conferences each year.
One of the key advantages she offers her clients is a unique insight into future cost drivers. She assists employers in grasping the potential financial impacts of pharmacogenomics, newly introduced specialty medications, and gene therapies. Her objective is to enhance the health of the population while reducing healthcare costs for both members and employers.
Before joining Marsh McLennan Agency, Marybeth served as a Vice President at AON Consulting and as a National Account Manager at Aetna, Inc. In these roles, she managed accounts from both financial and operational perspectives for clients with over 10,000 employees across various locations. She identified plan design opportunities for clients and tracked the ongoing financial impacts of these plans. During her tenure at Aetna, she was a member of the Aetna Presidents Roundtable Committee, facilitating communication between clients and the president’s office to propose changes aimed at enhancing Aetna’s operational procedures.
Marybeth was recognized by Women We Admire as one of the 2025 Top Women Leaders in Pennsylvania, as well as the Top 50 Women Leaders of Philadelphia. She was also honored as a top five finalist for the 2024 Advisor of the Year by BenefitsPRO. Her innovative and thought-provoking ideas have been featured in Morning Brew, and she has authored several articles for publications such as Manage HR Magazine and The Chief Navigators Magazine, Women of Distinction. In 2019, she received the Lifetime Achievement award from Marquis Who’s Who, which profiles influential leaders shaping American society and impacting their respective industries
National Director of Business Development, Imagine360
Rebeccah is the National Director of Business Development for Imagine360. With 25+ years in the insurance industry, Rebeccah has deep expertise in the self-funded and fully insured markets both nationally and internationally. As an insurance broker, she successfully guided companies on their employee benefit programs and designed innovative and customized solutions for clients.
Rebeccah is passionate about leading brokers and employers to take better control of their health plans, the ability to provide a higher level of benefits, and transparency in healthcare costs.
Rebeccah attended The University of Akron for Business. She currently resides in Solon, Ohio with her husband and two children.
4:30 pm ET
5:00 pm ET
Join the broader community of senior finance leaders as the Spring CFO Leadership Conference officially begins. Connect with CFOs and executive peers from across industries during this opening reception, and engage with strategic partners and exhibitors before the full conference program gets underway.
10 CPEs offered (12 including the Healthcare Benefits Symposium) pending NASBA approval on final agenda.
The CFO Leadership Council is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be addressed to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors, 150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 700, Nashville, TN, 37219-2417. Website: www.nasba.org
Instructional method: Group-Live
Recommended CPE Credits: Up to 12 Credits
Experience Level: Basic
Prerequisites/advance preparation: None
For CFOLC CPE credits, one credit hour equals 50 minutes according to NASBA guidelines. Some state boards may differ on how many minutes constitute a credit hour. Contact your state board for more information. Questions or comments? Contact Nancy at nancy@cfolc.com
Spring 2026 CFO Leadership Conference